By most metrics, the Lakers played their sloppiest offensive game of the season.
But perhaps no other figure summed up the gummed-up attack like the Lakers’ woeful assist-to-turnover ratio: a season-low 10 dimes and a season-high 24 giveaways.
But a titanic defensive effort nonetheless propelled L.A. to a 90-83 victory over Utah.
The Lakers suffocated the Jazz, holding them to 38.8 percent shooting from the field, including 4-of-23 on 3-pointers, while forcing 19 turnovers.
It was the necessary recipe for a Lakers squad that scored 17 points fewer than its previous season-low.
“Through the course of an 82-game season, you will have games where you have to win it defensively no matter how you are playing offensively,” LeBron James said, “and that’s what we did today.”
The Lakers coerced their opponents into one difficult shot after another, yet couldn’t find much scoring success of their own.
So they leaned on the night’s hot hand, Brandon Ingram, who scored a game-high 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting. He did most of his work on his own, attacking off the drive, and theorized that the team’s low assist total stemmed from Thanksgiving dinner the day before.
“Everybody’s a little overweight probably,” Ingram joked. “All except me.”
Indeed, “Slenderman” was far from weighed down, as he and Lonzo Ball had some of their most aggressive performances fo the night.
Ball finished with nine points and 10 rebounds. And while he and Ingram combined for 10 turnovers, James applauded them for their attack-first mentalities.
“In order for us to be the best team we can be,” LeBron said, “they always have to be aggressive, and they did that again tonight.”
James and Ball combined for a couple of clutch buckets in the final four minutes, working the two-man game that has been a rousing success for the Lakers this season.
Utah (8-11) blitzed James on one pick-and-roll, so he fed Ball for a layup. The Jazz then tried switching a different defender onto LeBron, who took advantage of the matchup by stepping back for a deep 3-pointer for the final score of his 22-point, 10-rebound, seven-assist night.
With the victory — their seventh in eight games — the Lakers (11-7) are now just one game behind the LA Clippers for the top spot in the Western Conference.
And while Ball — who also had a key late assist to JaVale McGee (12 points, three steals, two blocks) — helped close the game with his offense, it has been defense that has the Lakers firmly in winning territory recently.
“Five guys on a string, all talking, moving as one,” Ball said. “That’s what we did tonight.”
Notes
Donovan Mitchell, Utah’s leading scorer, left the game in the second quarter due to a rib contusion. … Joe Ingles led the Jazz with 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists. … The Lakers beat Utah for the first time since Kobe Bryant’s final game on April 13, 2016. … Adam Levine, Flea and Halsey were among the sold-out crowd.